Any point in writing dubstep in 6/8 ?

[Ennayess]

Don't suppose anyone could explain time signatures?

First number is how many beats per bar second number is the spacing of those beats i.e 4/4 being 4 beats a qtr note apart in a bar where 5/4 is the same spacing but 5 beats per bar etc..... so 6/8 would be 6 beats per bar and the spacings are an 1/8th between each beat.

(I think thats how it works anyway, I may well be corrected by someone more knowledgeable)

Edit: a whole page of better explanations should really start reading the full thread before answering questions.

[green plan]

4/4 at 140bpm will have the same length bar as 6/8 at 105bpm I think...? So if you mix a 4/4 triplet feel tune with a 6/8 105bpm it should work if your mixing is tight.

So would every 2 bars of the 6/8 tune take the same amount of time as 1 bar of 4/4?

1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a

1 2 3 4

No. It should take a third less time at 105 meaning the bars would be the same length. But at 140 it should go:

1 & 2 & 3 & 1 &(6/8)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &(4/4)

so basically the first beat starts on the four on the first bar. But obviously this would continually change.

So:

1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & (6/8)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (4/4) (I do know this shouldn't be counted as 1/8 notes before someone gets pedantic but it's easier to type.)

So if the snare was put on the third 1/4 note as normal it would land on the third, the second, the first and the fourth before coming back again. Which I guess doesn't make it impossible but it would be a challenge.

However at 105 (6/8) mixing into 140 (4/4) it would be more of a triplet feel. For example:

1 & 2 & 3 &
1& 2& 3& 4&

Therefore it should mix well into a song with a decent triplet feel. But it also means that the third will fall late so it could still be difficult, unless you garage it up a bit.

Thank you kind sir.

[Assassin]

4/4 at 140bpm will have the same length bar as 6/8 at 105bpm I think...? So if you mix a 4/4 triplet feel tune with a 6/8 105bpm it should work if your mixing is tight.

So would every 2 bars of the 6/8 tune take the same amount of time as 1 bar of 4/4?

1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a

1 2 3 4

No. It should take a third less time at 105 meaning the bars would be the same length. But at 140 it should go:

1 & 2 & 3 & 1 &(6/8)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &(4/4)

so basically the first beat starts on the four on the first bar. But obviously this would continually change.

So:

1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 & (6/8)
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (4/4) (I do know this shouldn't be counted as 1/8 notes before someone gets pedantic but it's easier to type.)

So if the snare was put on the third 1/4 note as normal it would land on the third, the second, the first and the fourth before coming back again. Which I guess doesn't make it impossible but it would be a challenge.

However at 105 (6/8) mixing into 140 (4/4) it would be more of a triplet feel. For example:

1 & 2 & 3 &
1& 2& 3& 4&

Therefore it should mix well into a song with a decent triplet feel. But it also means that the third will fall late so it could still be difficult, unless you garage it up a bit.

Thank you kind sir.

No problem.

[continuumdnb]

You're right, but it actually works better than you'd think.

Dubstep is 4/4, but the drums are very often halftime, or 2/2

so you count (or at least dance)

One Two
When the beat is
onetwothreefour

6/8 is also counted in two, or
ONE(twothree)TWO(twothree)

So someone counting 6/8 at 105 would look identical to someone counting in 2/2 at 140

hence 6/8 works very well (and is indistinguishable from triplets in 4/4)

[Hurtdeer]

i released a couple of tracks that switch from 4/7 to 7/7 on twenty twelve last year. time signatures are fun

Umm, 4/7? Is that even possible?

uhh, i meant 4/4. whoops

[sully_harmitage]

some practical advise:
if you want your tune to be realistically mixable,
don't use 1/8 notes in the intro, only crotchets.
or write the intro in 4/4.

haha at 4/7. thats straight out of Spinal Tap.

Disagree, I find it much easier to work out how the two tracks are sitting when there's smaller beat divisions than crotchets... to each their own!

I hear you, but you still can't nicely mix 2 tracks in different meters.
Im saying leave out the triplets in the intro, as they'll clash with straight 16ths, limiting the amount of tunes you can mix with.

[Hurtdeer]

I hear you, but you still can't nicely mix 2 tracks in different meters.
Im saying leave out the triplets in the intro, as they'll clash with straight 16ths, limiting the amount of tunes you can mix with.

yeah you can! it's just a lot trickier and you have to be really particular with what you're mixing. But get creative with some eqing and delays, and mind that you aren't playing two completely clashing beats and it's entirely possible


besides, write the tunes how you want to hear them first, this need to play up to what works best for djing just makes the music too restricted :/

[Noizydan]

i'd like to hear more dubstep in 6/8. good area to explore. just as danceable.

[Kayshot]

Sounds great in 6/8

[Fauster]

i released a couple of tracks that switch from 4/7 to 7/7 on twenty twelve last year. time signatures are fun

Umm, 4/7? Is that even possible?

No... as far as I understand, it isn't. The top number is the amount of beats per measure, the bottom is the note which is one beat. 4/4 = 4 beats per measure, quarter note is one beat.

Edit: Whoa, didn't realize how far behind I was. Ignore this.

[drdeft]

6/8 really rocks !

[sigbowls]

the kick drum sounds ok its not that different?